Starry Starry Night
by Starbucks3894
Summary: Gabe/Suki purely fluffy one-shot. No specific place on the plot. Just bits and pieces taken from here and there. R&R, pretty please.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except for Gabe's chicken sandwich, which is an exact replica of the one I had for dinner last night.**

Gabriel Lexington Forrest was a sensible boy. He also tended to disregard that sensibility when it came to something he cared about. He'd get tangled up in his emotions and either take them to the utmost extremes or do nothing about them at all. His day to day feelings were so inconstant that he hardly knew what each day, well, ANY day, would hold. Something to run and hide from, something to laugh about or cry about, something to fight for. Gabe's life was nothing if not full of adventure.

So it should be understandable that when it came to Suki Sato, there were a lot of emotions running wild through his brain. Confusion, bliss, jealousy, sadness, affection, and sometimes even infatuation. Because in Gabe's eyes, Suki was worth more than anything in the world, the only reason he had to keep trying to escape. His imagination had shown him a world where, away from Tower Prep and it's harnesses, he could tell her how he really felt about her. There would be no holding back, and no fear, and he wouldn't stop trying until he had her heart nestled in his.

Gabe knew that Suki was a very popular girl. Not as popular as CJ maybe, but there were few people who didn't like her. She was sweet and bubbly and smart and funny and pretty, which may be the reason why Gabe had a few other guys to contend with. He knew that Ray Snider liked Suki, and he knew that Suki didn't hate Ray either. He knew about Suki's little crush on Ian, because she could never hide much from Gabe. He knew there were probably other boys who liked her, and who could really blame them? Didn't he like her, too?

He knew that him and Suki were friends. Best friends. Friends since Gabe had first come to Tower Prep. That had never, and he was pretty sure, would never change. Which made him so upset, sometimes. Because he wanted it to change. He kinda wanted to be way more than just friends.

He was thinking about this, and what new tactics he might take to win her heart, when he was walking to chem-lab one day. He didn't know he was late. He thought he was early.

He walked in to thirty pairs of interested eyes locked onto his far-away, thoughtful expression. He heard a titter from somewhere in the back. He blushed.

"Mr. Forrest?" The teacher craned his neck around to see Gabe full on. "You're late."

"Yes, sir, the uh... The time, seems to have gotten away from me." He tugged on his tie a little so he could swallow the lump in his throat, and went to sit next to Ian. He couldn't help but think about the tardy mark that would forever disgrace his permanent record.

Ian gave him a friendly nudge. "Dude, don't tell me you're thinking about that tardy mark you just got."

Gabe tried to look surprised. "Are you talking to me? Cause I would NEVER think about TARDY marks. That's just..." He waved dismissively. "Pshaw."

"Mr. Forrest, if you would honor the rule of 'no talking', please."

Gabe nodded gravely and gave the teacher a thumbs-up. Ian sniggered.

Class went on as usual. Suki was sitting with CJ at the table directly across from theirs, so he had little to no opportunity to steal any glances in her direction without her seeing. So he just focused on the work, and tried not to let Ian sit back and do nothing at all.

Class let out an hour later. Students started to pile out, including CJ. Ian gave Gabe a quick pat on the back as he stuffed books into his bag and dashed after her with a hasty, "See you at dinner." Gabe chuckled quietly as he slid his books more carefully into his knapsack.

He looked around when he was all loaded up. The teacher was sitting quietly at his desk, reading something. No other student was left in the room. Until Gabe noticed a thin hand holding onto the edge of the desk across from him. He walked towards it slowly.

From behind it, a head full of shiny dark hair popped up suddenly, yelling, "FOUND IT!" Gabe jumped about a mile back before he realized it was just Suki, holding her purple pen triumphantly in the air. She saw Gabe and let out a mirthful laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Gabe! Did I startle you?" She smiled as she put her books away, sliding the pen carefully in its own pocket. She hoisted the bag onto her back, and grinned at him. "What are you still doing here?"

He gestured chivalrously towards her. "Waiting for you."

""Aw! That's so sweet!" She gave him another golden smile as they both headed for the door.

"So how did you and Ceej do on your assignment today?"

Suki sighed and shook her head. "She put the sulfuric acid into the calcium too soon. Our whole experiment was ruined," she said sadly, throwing her hands up in the air. Gabe smiled.

"Well, at least you got to see what it looks like if it doesn't work. You know, for future reference." He scratched his head, thinking that sounded a whole lot more comforting in his mind two seconds ago. She laughed though, and agreed.

They passed Ian walking down the hall. He looked dejected.

"Hey, what's up man?" Gabe asked.

He gestured down the hall hopelessly. "Cal got to CJ before I could. I saw them sitting together in the cafeteria." He looked around, running a hand through his hair. He stopped when he saw Suki. He looked embarrassed. Gabe HAD wondered why he'd just admitted he was crushing on CJ with Suki standing right there, and he knew now that he simply hadn't seen her. Suki leaned on a locker thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, Ian, I won't tell her or anything. Not like I didn't already know." She gave him a friendly pat and continued walking. Gabe stared after her fondly. He turned around to see the embarrassment on Ian's face gone, to be replaced by a smirk. Gabe rolled his eyes.

"What, Ian?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's 'crushing'", he said, air quotes around "crushing". Darn that boy and his ability to catch the exact moment to use your own words against you.

Gabe shrugged. "So what? You've known I've liked her for a while now, anyway."

"Yeah..." Ian said, upset that his thunder had been stolen so abruptly.

They walked back to their dorm, and Gabe attempted to start an English paper due on that upcoming Friday. Ian just bounced a hackey-sack against the wall.

By the time dinner rolled around, Gabe was sure his stomach had just left him because of the lack of food he had shoved into his face that day. He got up only to see that Ian was no longer on his bed. The door to the tunnels was open, though. Gabe knew he had gone down there again, and took the time to shout, "DINNER!" into it's dark depths before taking off for the evening meal.

CJ was still sitting with Cal, the look of half intrigue, half disgust gracing her features. Such odd feelings devoted to only one boy. Gabe's eyes scanned the room for Suki but she wasn't there. He knew he had to eat before he went to look for her. His stomach would maybe come back.

So, a chicken sandwich later, he was out on the grounds, hoping to catch Suki before curfew.

He found her sitting underneath a huge tree almost dangerously close to West Campus. A book lay open on the grass beside her, and she was facing the forbidden territory. Gabe could only see her side profile, but she seemed very far away.

He sat down beside her. She didn't notice. He saw the title of the book. Jane Eyre. Not something he would have thought she'd be into.

"Whatcha readin'?" he asked, picking up the book and flipping through it's thick contents.

"Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre," she replied back tonelessly. Her eyes were distant when she turned to him, and immediately he was curious. What was she thinking about?

His eyes followed hers to a break in the sylvan wall around West Campus. It looked perfectly ordinary, except for the significance Gabe knew it held. Somehow, that place couldn't be good. It was where they sent the delinquents! Whatever they did in there, Gabe didn't ever want to find out.

"Gabe... do you ever wonder what it would actually be LIKE to escape? I mean, how we would feel after. I know that I want to, and sometimes I think of just jumping over that wall and never turning back. I know it wouldn't work, but..." She shrugged and smiled. "It just makes you wonder, huh?"

"Yeah," Gabe replied, knowing how lame it sounded but not being able to come up with anything else.

"If we ever got out... what would we do?"

"Go home," was Gabe's immediate answer.

"But I wouldn't want to go home. Not if they're gonna force me to be a part of something I want nothing to do with."

Gabe didn't know what to say. Suki seemed to have a dumbing effect on him.

"And what if our parents sent us here? What if they're not wondering? What if they would just send us back?"

"No matter what, we would stick together. No way we'd split up. Even if our parents didn't want us, we'd still have each other."

Suki smiled, knowing how true it was. "Yeah. I guess that makes me feel a little better."

Gabe smiled and leaned against the tree, content in just being near her and being able to give her some kind of assurance.

"What's the first thing you want to do when you get out?" Suki asked eagerly, sitting up on her feet.

"Me? I want to go to a huge field and run as fast as I can all the way to the other side. No walls, no boundaries. Just wide open spaces." Gabe stretched and lay down on the grass, imagining what that would feel like. He could've laughed it sounded so awesome. He looked at Suki sidelong. "What do you want to do?"

She looked back at West Campus. "I want to find some answers. Away from all this confusion. I want to know everything about this place. And then I want to forget it all. And never look back." She lay down beside him and put her hands underneath her head. Gabe looked through the branches at the sky. It was starting to cloud over, and he knew it would rain soon.

"I know exactly what you mean," he said, rather than, "It'll rain soon."

She smiled at the sky, then turned over on her side to look at Gabe. "When we get out we could go to college."

Gabe laughed. "More school? Haven't you had enough?"

She laughed too. "No! I want to experience college! It seems so wonderful. And normal." She sighed.

Gabe looked at her sad face. He knew how much she wanted to be free. He knew exactly how she felt about this place and he wished he could simply make it all better.

"I'll go to college if you go," he said quietly.

"We can go together!" she said happily, all the weariness drained from her face.

"Yeah," he said.

They lay in silence for a while longer.

After a little bit the curfew bell rang. He heard her sigh. He looked at her. She was already on her feet.

"We should head back," she said.

He agreed, but he didn't get up. Suki gave him an inquisitive look. "Are you coming?" she asked.

He stretched out on the lawn. "I said we SHOULD head back. But it doesn't mean I want to."

She giggled and sat herself back next to him. "We'll get in trouble," she whispered. But her eyes were sparkling, and Gabe had a sudden impulse to sweep her off her feet. To do something unexpected. To be dashing.

He took her hand and ran off towards West Campus. She flew in sync with him, and before long they had passed that boundary. The boundary between worlds. They collapsed beneath a huge elm tree, and watched the patrol check to make sure that all students were indoors. They laughed breathlessly when all noise ceased. They had done it. Done the one thing that could possibly appease the need to be free. They broke the rules.

The moon came out, and with it, all the stars. The light chased away all the clouds, and the strange sky became clear. They prompted each other on locating constellations, if only to hear the other talk. Time passed by quickly. Before long, Gabe's eyes were drooping, and he pictured Ian's worry at finding his bed empty. He looked at Suki. Her eyes were closed, and the moon set her face glowing seemingly from within. He saw a lightening bug land on her nose, and she scrunched it up until the little lantern flew away.

She grinned. "I can feel you looking at me."

He blushed and lay back down. "Is that some power I don't know about?"

"Nope. Just skills," she replied sleepily.

"Can I ask you a question, Suki?"

"Mmhm."

"Did I hypersuade you to come with me here?" He thought he must have done it unconsciously, because he couldn't convince himself that she would have done it otherwise. She cocked her head at him complacently.

"No. I came with you because I wanted to."

"Oh." Gabe settled deeper into the velvety grass, wishing he hadn't asked.

"Why? Do you think I wouldn't have?"

"No, no! It's just... you... you stick pretty closely to the rules. This is a pretty big one to break. Staying out all night on West Campus, ignoring curfew bell, AND dodging the patrol. I'm just saying."

"Well, you're not exactly the biggest rebel either."

"I know that!" Gabe said defensively. "I just didn't want to make you come here if you didn't want to! I wanted to be sure you did."

"Well, I did." She huffed and lay back down. In a minute the atmosphere between them cooled, the slight heat from their tempers diminished. She turned her head to look at him.

"Aren't we breaking the biggest rule of all every day though? Planning to escape?"

Gabe couldn't say he didn't see the truth in that. He shrugged. "All in how you look at it," he said vaguely.

She sat up. He watched her back carefully, waiting for any signs of frustration or annoyance. They didn't come. Her shoulders looked slumped, and her breathing was barely audible.

"What are you thinking?" he asked cautiously, all too aware he could, at any moment, say the completely wrong thing.

"I'm just thinking. When you go back to your family, and Ian and CJ go to Ian's house... where will I go?" She sighed. "I'm just so unsure."

He sat up with her, and put his hand over his. "Don't worry, Suki. I'll always take care of you."

She smiled at him. He wasn't aware that they had gotten closer until her lips were against his. The thing he'd been waiting for for so long, the thing he had never dared hope for, was happening in that very instant. But he didn't feel excited or completely triumphant. He just felt happy. Overflowing with it. He figured that was how it was supposed to feel, and when they broke apart, he felt none of the awkwardness that happens in the movies.

It was perfect. There, in forbidden territory, by the light of the moon, he finally got what his heart desired.

And no matter how he remembered Tower Prep in the future, no matter how he looked back on his time there, he would always love that spot under the elm tree. That, he would look back on and not regret.

**This is my first Tower Prep fic. I realized the sore lack of Gabe/Suki on this site, and decided to ease that lack just a little. ;) Hope you enjoyed!**

**Starbucks out. xxoo**


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